Friday night came quickly and if it hadn't been for Tiberius' keen senses, Crystal would have had multiple seizures brought on by her increased anxiety to go to the Underground Market.
Tiberius noted Rhonda's desire to protect her daughter, but after speaking with her Wednesday night, while Crystal was tending to the dogs, they agreed that Crystal needed to step up her own game and not let others make decisions for her and encourage her to take more responsibility and risks for herself. She needed to grow on her own, with gentle encouragement and guidance when needed, and not shielded as much.
A mother's love knows no bounds and seeing her pup struggle and not develop normally only heightened her urge to protect her—even if she knew it was detrimental to her own self-esteem. Tiberius understood, but they both knew that it couldn't continue.
Only in secret did Rhonda question whether or not Crystal should go to the Underground Market while asserting to Crystal that it was imperative that she go.
"Do it, not only for your mate but for yourself as well, Cris," her mother had told her.
Crystal would only nod with her head down, though fear saturated every pore of her body.
The only way she'd be able to sleep was curled up with him on the floor, her wolf constantly straining against her flesh and Tiberius' heartbeat was the only thing to soothe the beast within.
He could have called off the excursion, knowing that it would be a waste of time, but Rhonda agreed in a brief conversation Thursday evening that it would be good for Crystal.
During his chat with Rhonda Wednesday evening, he also told her that he knew the cure for his curse and how he thought his curse was linked to Crystal's inability to shift. He confided in how he wanted to try and tell Crystal the cure in their dreams, but he was afraid it would do more harm than good. He didn't want her to feel forced into caring for him and then hating herself for not returning the same feelings that he had for her.
"You're right, Tiberius," her mother agreed. "Love cannot be forced. Her feelings need to develop on their own. Don't tell her."
She would come around eventually. They just hoped it would be sooner rather than later.
He met with Crystal again in their dreams Thursday night and Tiberius again wanted to hold her from behind as he told her about his life before the curse. How his family left Europe after his sister, Marina, matured in 1825 and settled in Arizona and he was born ten years later. How his younger brother, Laurencius, recently found his mate and their parents were forcing him to become the next alpha despite the fact that their older brother, Dominius, had been preparing for centuries to take over the pack once he found his mate.
"He hasn't found her though, and no one knows if he will, but Lance's mate is strong and will make a good Luna once he completes his training. I'm sure of it," he had said and then shifted gears and told her about his travels in the last year, not wanting to dwell on the topic of his family any longer. The lingering feelings of betrayal were still too strong, and he didn't want to bring her down with his problems yet.
He wanted her to get to know him and to feel more comfortable around him. Even if they couldn't physically feel each other in the dreams, he used this time to tell her about himself and his life.
Friday was riddled with anxiety for Crystal and it ate away at everyone around her too. They all tried not to show it, but they felt it and were thankful that she didn't share their heightened senses as well.
She didn't go to work at the library on Friday and instead stayed locked in her room, watching movies with Tiberius and listening to music while sketching in her book. Sometimes, she would sketch while watching a movie, anything to keep herself occupied while staying close to him.
"Cris, you have to eat," her mother scolded her at dinner time when she refused food.
All she could keep down was chicken noodle soup, and even then, she ate very little of it and had to force herself to eat.
When it was eleven-thirty, Alpha Jackson and Beta Justin arrived to take them downtown.
"Have you ever been downtown before?" Alpha asked Tiberius.
He shook his head, having never left Arizona until last year.
"It will overwhelm your senses, but we'll be as quick as we can."
He and Crystal were given matching black cloaks—his just barely covering his large frame—and they headed out.
The city was buzzing with life, even though it was close to midnight.
The dark-tinted windows of their black van slipped through the illuminated streets and he couldn't help but stare in awe at the skyscrapers. There were no stars to be seen overhead, but there were lights everywhere from the lampposts to the windows of the tallest buildings.
The noise grated against his ears and the street odors made his nose wrinkle, but he held Crystal close, her back against his chest and his arms wrapped around her shoulders as she leaned against him, taking deep cleansing breaths in an effort to remain calm.
A large church loomed before them and they pulled into the driveway that led to the parking lot behind it. They waited only a few seconds for a figure to emerge from the darkness and climb into the vehicle before leaving.
The man sat across from Tiberius and Crystal in the back—dressed in a long, black trench coat with skin as dark as the night and his head shaved clean. A long scar ran down his cheek, from the tip of his high cheekbone to his jaw and dropping down another two inches along his neck. He reminded Tiberius of his mother and the scar she wore proudly on her face.
Alpha introduced the vampire slayer as Darnell.
"You best watch your back, lycan," he said. "The Underground don't care much for your kind."
Tiberius stared him down as Crystal's heart pounded a bit harder for a few seconds before calming down again.
"Stop messing with him, Dar," Justin said.
"I'm not. Just telling it like it is."
They turned down a dark alley and down a cement tunnel. A door must have closed behind them as the noise from the streets dimmed.
Darkness engulfed them, save for the headlights of their van as they continued to travel down.
A parking lot opened up and their vehicle pulled up to a woman sitting on a fold-out chair, knitting.
Justin rolled down the window and greeted the woman. They exchanged a few words before she pulled a wand out from her pocket and stepped aside. Pointing the tip at the wall, she uttered a few strange words before the wall disappeared and another tunnel opened up.
Rolling up his window, Justin drove them down the tunnel. Flaming torches lit the way along the cement walls before opening up to another parking lot. He circled around to the other end of the lot, passing by thick iron doors guarded by two stern-looking men, before pulling into an empty space and unlocking the doors.
"Welcome to the Underground Market," Justin announced. "Don't talk back to the trolls and don't touch anything. The witches tend to put spells on all their products to ensure nothing gets stolen. Always ask them about a product and let them handle it."
"Are we buying anything aside from a cure for the lycan?" Darnell asked as he climbed out the back door.
"His name is Tiberius," Crystal mumbled, a hint of irritation flickering under her tone as she climbed out after him.
"Right, that's it. I knew it started with a T but couldn't remember what Alpha Jackson said." The vampire slayer waited for Tiberius to climb out before he asked, "Mind if I call you Tee for short?"
Standing to his full height of eight feet and two inches, he looked down at the six foot four human who asked to call him by the same nickname only his family members used. Whether it was easier or not for him to remember, Tee was too intimate on the tongue of a stranger.
Lips curled back, he growled lowly, to which Darnell held up his hands in mock surrender.
"Aight, I hear ya. Don't get your panties in a twist if I forget it."
Huffing, Tiberius pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, grateful that it was large enough to conceal his face so that only his muzzle poked out.
He held his arm out for his mate, which she latched onto without any coaxing, drawing a smile to his lips.
Stay close to me, Beautiful, and everything will be fine.
They turned and Darnell led the way through the yellow glow of the torch-lit lot, flanked closely by Alpha Jackson with Beta Justin following behind Tiberius and Crystal.
Walking up to the iron doors, the guards tapped the concrete floor with their staffs before pointing the glowing ends at them and stopping them in their tracks. Swirling balls of yellow fire encased in small crystal balls held in gnarled metal claws illuminated their faces as the guards glanced up at Tiberius without tilting their heads up. The torchlight flickered across their breastplates with silver carved in a swirl of intricate designs and the pair of silver ram horns curling out from the helmets on their head. Thick black leather pads covered their thighs, shoulders, and wrists and only their faces, necks, and hands were exposed.
"Who wishes to enter the Market?" the guard on the left asked, turning his gaze onto Darnell as Alpha stepped next to him.
"I, Darnell of the Bloodsmith Slayers, wish to enter as a guide for werewolves of the Lancaster Pack and their lycan ally," the slayer said.
"What is the purpose of your visit?" the guard asked, turning his attention to Alpha while the other guard stared up at Tiberius. A mixture of disdain and caution tainted the scent of the guards.
"Potions and lotions to treat vampire bites on werewolves," Alpha said, his voice carrying with it all the power and pride of an alpha.
"And the lycan? He should enter in his human form. He will only stir unease among the vendors and their clients."
Alpha raised his chin a half inch. "His business is his own."
The guard on the left raised his gaze up, his eyes narrowing. "Mind your business and there will be no trouble."
Tiberius nodded his head in understanding.
The doors opened on their own and the guards stepped aside.
Crystal shivered as they stepped forward and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head.
The Market occupied a huge cavern, the ceiling too high and dark to see. Light flickered within glass encased lampposts every few yards in the middle of the aisles between stalls. Some stalls were enclosed in carpets or tapestries for privacy, while some were open with tables displaying an assortment of goods for sale.
Various smells invaded his nostrils, making him snort and sneeze a few times while the noise of chattering voices hushed at the sight of him. Dozens of eyes pierced through him as Crystal's grip on his arm tightened.
He wanted their eyes on him and not her. He could handle the stares, but he wanted her to be left alone.
Magic fluttered and swirled above the stalls like fireflies and small whimsical birds in twirling balls of light as they strolled along the aisle of stalls.
There were weapons of various metals, baked goods that smelled too heavenly to be real, and when they came upon an enclosed stall that sold lotions and potions for vampire bites, Tiberius had to enter on all fours as he was too tall on two feet.
Lamps hung in the four corners of the covered stall, casting the space in a warm golden light that shone off the flaming red hair, tied back in a long braid, of the olive-toned witch in flowing black clothes.
"Darnell, my sweet," she greeted, giving the slayer a peck on the cheek. "How have you been? You brought some friends, I see."
Unusual copper-colored eyes glanced around the room before stopping on Tiberius and quirking a brow in intrigue.
"Hello again, my tiger lily," the slayer greeted with a mischievousness that warranted a playful smack on the arm from the witch. "You remember Alpha Jackson and Beta Justin of the Lancaster Pack?"
"Yes, of course. In need of more ointments and tinctures already?" she asked, nodding her head respectfully to the alpha and beta while stealing glances at Tiberius and Crystal, whose hand dug into the thick fur around Tiberius' neck.
"Not really, but it doesn't hurt to have more on hand," Alpha Jackson replied.
"They do expire within a year."
"Yes, I'm aware of that."
She turned, her floor-length black skirt flourishing around behind her, and went behind a table covered with a rich purple cloth. Removing a wand from a long narrow pocket in her skirt, she pointed it at something under the table before bending down and pulling out a small wooden chest. Setting it on top of the table, she opened it and withdrew an eight-ounce glass bottle and a small cylindrical lotion container and set them on the table.
"We were also wondering if you might know something about undoing a spell cast by another witch," Justin said as she closed the lid of the chest.
Her hands froze for a moment before she closed the latch on the chest. "That would depend on the spell, the complexity, and who cast it."
"How so?"
"Well," she said, placing her hand on the table and glancing at Tiberius before turning her gaze back to Justin. "There are many different types of spells and varying levels of complexity. The more complex the spell, the harder it is to undo."
"So, it can be done?"
"Perhaps. You'd have to elaborate."
Justin gestured to Crystal and Tiberius at the other end of the tent. "My sister and her mate are unable to shift. Tiberius has informed us that he was cursed by—"
"Cursed?" she interrupted. "Curses are much different than spells."
"How so?"
"They cannot be undone by another spell. Due to the malicious intent behind them, more often than not, they stay with the being until they die." Her coppery eyes regarded Tiberius, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Tell me more about this curse."
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*Copyright Jo Lee Hunt (Joflower) 2017*